Commissioners Take Huizenga's Million-dollar Bait

All Support A Tax To Benefit Homeless Shelters

February 18, 1998|By LANE KELLEY Staff Writer

Three weeks ago, billionaire H. Wayne Huizenga dangled a million-dollar carrot before county commissioners: If they imposed a special tax to operate homeless shelters, he would donate another $1 million to build a shelter in north Broward County.

Commissioners, who have long opposed such a tax, took the bait. On Tuesday, they asked their lobbyists to see what kind of tax has the best chance of being approved by the Legislature.

``There's no question in my mind that this is what should be done,'' Commissioner Norman Abramowitz said. ``There's no doubt that there has to be a permanent source of funding in place.''

Some think it should be a penny-a-gallon gasoline tax. Others support a ``sin tax'' on alcohol and tobacco.

Every commissioner supports the idea of a special tax.

``I really don't care which of the taxes is proposed,'' Commissioner Scott Cowansaid. ``I do support guaranteed continuous funding for the homeless.''

Broward county and municipal officials have squabbled for years about caring for the homeless.

Other cities earmarked a sales tax for that purpose and were awarded millions of dollars in federal grants as a result.

Miami-Dade County, which levies a 1 percent restaurant sales tax for homeless programs, won a $13.2 million grant last year and $24.6 million in 1996.

Broward County received nothing last year and had never received more than $300,000.

The federal government has said that without local funds, Broward County would not obtain large federal grants for homeless programs.

Last year, Broward County officials bought land at 600 E. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale for a homeless assistance center and set up a nonprofit organization to build and operate it. Huizenga helped raise $2 million in donations by matching the money with a $1 million contribution.

Shortly after that, the county won a $3.3 million federal grant to house elderly and mentally ill people.

At the groundbreaking for the shelter last month, Huizenga pledged another $1 million _ but only if the County Commission approved a special tax to operate the homeless shelter. Without a special tax, property taxes would pay to operate the shelter.

Huizenga's latest pledge and the special tax would be earmarked to operate the shelter under construction in Fort Lauderdale and another planned in north Broward County, at a site yet to be determined.

A share of the tax money would go to agencies that help the homeless, such as the Women In Distress shelter, the Covenant House Florida teen shelter in Fort Lauderdale and the homeless shelter in Hollywood.

Commissioners were divided on what kind of tax they supported.

Cowan and Commissioner Lori Parrish like a gas tax because it is easy to collect.